


When The Lights Find Home

by souzaki (junqhan)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, ennoshita is trying his best, idk what else to tag here, tanaka is being tanaka, writing this makes me emotional
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-12
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2018-05-26 06:58:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6228430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junqhan/pseuds/souzaki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Police!AU. Ennoshita is lost in the limitless space he made himself, and Tanaka guides him back home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When The Lights Find Home

“Good work today, Lieutenant!”

“Oh, good work,” Ennoshita smiles at his subordinates, Sergeant Narita and Sergeant Kinoshita. “You two have worked hard. You can take your leave if you have nothing else to do.”

Narita and Kinoshita bow politely at him. “You should go home too, Lieutenant. You’re practically living in the investigation room, seeing how you’d be the first to arrive here and the last to leave.”

Ennoshita chuckles, “Yeah, yeah, thank you very much for your concern. This job is everything I have left, so I would do anything to keep it with me. Anyway, the murder case conference will be held in three days, so hand me over all the detailed information from every department involved. We need to appear in confident or they would force us to work with some amateurs again.”

“Understood, Lieutenant.”

“You may go, now.”

Ennoshita massages his temple slowly after Narita and Kinoshita closes the door from outside. This is the third week already; for the last twenty days he spent his day and night fighting with numbers and letters to get the most accurate information about the possible suspects of the recent serial murder case happened on his jurisdiction. Ennoshita will casually forget to eat and shower if it wasn’t for Tanaka’s endless nagging on his ear.

The door opens slowly and Ennoshita knows Tanaka is there. The buzz cut lieutenant enters the room without permission, throwing his hat to Ennoshita’s desk despite knowing Ennoshita is still working. Ennoshita sighs, looking up from his seat.

“Is there anything I could help you, Tanaka-san?”

“Yeah, let’s get something to eat.”

“Isn’t it too late for a snack?” Ennoshita glances at his watch, “And why are you asking me now? You could just get it with Narita and Kinoshita before they leave the building a moment ago.”

“That was my original plan, but then they told me you’re still here, so I came here to get your stubborn ass with me because if I don’t—” Tanaka raises a finger when Ennoshita tries to protest, “—you’re going to spend longer time here, drowning in frustration under those files. Probably dead by the next morning, and I can’t let that happen.”

Ennoshita snorts a laugh. “I’m totally grateful at your generosity, but I still need to finish the papers tonight. I still have a lot to do before the conference.”

“Oh come on, moving some work to the next day won’t kill anyone,” Tanaka still insists. “Listen, Chikara. I’m genuinely worried about you. I knew your subordinates were talking about how you’re almost always overworking yourself with the cases and I knew it was all true. Besides, having a sick lieutenant in your team isn’t going to help anything.”

“I’m not sick,” Ennoshita frowns, “I’m fine, Tanaka. The serial murder case is stuck in some point and we’re still in the bottom of the case, and the conference is in three days, and to make it worse, Superintendent Mikoshiba would be there. I don’t want to lose my face in front of him.”

Tanaka raises a brow, “Superintendent Mikoshiba? Your late father’s colleague in military academy?”

Ennoshita nods. “He called me yesterday. He was concerned about the case, and as someone who practically raised me as his son after my father passed away, it’s natural for him to do that. It’s just… I don’t want to be a bother for anyone, especially him, and I want to show him I’m doing okay.”

Tanaka sighs loudly. Ennoshita is a hardworking person, someone who never wants to rely on anyone else thinking he would just be a bother. He had lived a rough life since he was young, and Tanaka knew just enough to get used to his stubbornness. His father passed away on duty and his mother soon followed her husband after an illness, leaving Ennoshita to get a grip of the harsh world called reality all alone. Ennoshita learned how it’s useless to depend on someone—they could leave you with nothing in a blink of eye.

Ennoshita is strong, Tanaka knows that. But he’s lost. And Tanaka doesn’t know what kind of space he’s been floating himself all the time.

 _He wants to know_. He wants to save him.

 

“Fine,” Tanaka huffs, “I’ll help you. But only until midnight, okay? And after that, you should go home and get some goddamn sleep. If you’re still not cooperating, I’ll drug your drink and toss your body to the nearest garbage, in case you wanted to get to work as soon as possible after you woke up.”

Ennoshita laughs, but his eyes say _thanks_. “Savage,” he murmurs.

Ennoshita hands Tanaka the files, accidentally missing the two seconds Tanaka glances at him from the corner of his eyes.

 

****

 

“Chikara, your father wished for you to carry on his mission as a police officer and continue where he left off. I promise you I’ll help in every way possible, so I hope you won’t object. This is the only way I could pay your father’s kindness to me until the day of his death.”

Ennoshita doesn’t say anything at Uncle Mikoshiba, someone who has been very kind to him ever since his father passed away six months ago. Ennoshita has never had a dream of being a policeman like his father, though he respects his father a lot. He wants to be a scientist; he wants to spend his life locking himself up inside a lab doing new researches and experiments.

He thought his life was going to be easy once he graduated from high school, but life didn’t let him have his way just like that. Three weeks after graduation Uncle Mikoshiba told them his father was never going to come back home, and his mother had been sick since that day. Ennoshita had to bid his dreams farewell—now that everything is uncertain for him and his future. He’s the only son of his family, and he knew he’d be someway responsible of whatever his father left him behind. But being a policeman isn’t something he really wants to do, should he keep walking on this path for the sake of his father?

“Mom is sick, Uncle. I can’t leave Mom alone.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll have someone take care of your mother while you’re preparing yourself to go to the police academy. Okay?”

Ennoshita tries to avoid Uncle Mikoshiba’s eyes. _He is a good policeman and basically a good man_ , his father once said proudly. _One of the best students ever graduated from the police academy, got second highest rank among the cadets._

Ennoshita knows his life would be safer under Uncle Mikoshiba’s guidance. Joining police academy means he’s halfway to have his actual job, and it means he doesn’t have to walk around bringing his job application papers to be kicked out for being inexperienced. His life would get better, and probably Ennoshita could try applying in the medical department to keep in touch with biology, the subject he’s always been fond of.

“I have my own dream, Uncle,” he finally says after a long pause. “I will think again… after Mom’s condition gets better.”

Mikoshiba sighs. It’s such a futile effort to force Ennoshita any further; he’s not someone who’ll be easily tantalized even at his young age. _He has a big dream_ , Mikoshiba says to himself, _but the death of his father has put an end to it. The next is all up to him._

“Fine,” Mikoshiba nods. “You can call me if you need anything, and if you have made up your mind about my offer. See you later, Chikara.”

 

 

A month after Uncle Mikoshiba’s visit, Ennoshita’s mother passes away.

 

****

 

Ennoshita meets a boy who later changes his life on his training days in police academy.

A lieutenant is speaking in loud voice and scary tone in front of them, asking the name of the cadets and the reason they joined police academy. Then, the lieutenant asks him, the boy who looks so appealing in Ennoshita’s eyes and he can’t take his eyes off him.

He has buzz cut hair and he often makes funny (or rather, scary) faces when someone insults him on the dorm, though he never means to actually pick a fight. But when the lieutenant talks to him, Ennoshita can see how much determination the boy has inside him.

“Name is Tanaka Ryuunosuke! The reason of joining police academy, because I wanted to protect people from losing someone they love!”

“What a stupid reason,” the lieutenant mocks him, “We’re not opening a superhero class here!”

“I didn’t come here to be a superhero, Sir! And because I knew that was impossible, I wanted to do my best on doing what I could to protect them!”

“You said the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard from a cadet,” the lieutenant sighs, “and why is that? Why did you choose to be a police officer to do that thing you wanted?”

Tanaka doesn’t answer immediately. He looks down, clenches his fist, and looks up, right into the lieutenant’s eyes. “My sister’s daughter was killed on a hit-and-run and we caught the suspect immediately after my sister reported it to the police. My uncle was robbed and injured badly but his life was saved thanks to a policeman who gave him first-aid before the ambulance came. People ran to unfortunate events all the time and sometimes we couldn’t avoid the loss, but if we police could do something to prevent it, why not?”

The lieutenant raises a brow. “You’re so naïve, do you know that?”

“I do,” Tanaka replies firmly, “But it’s still worth trying. Even if I failed, the only one to blame would be me, and I’d have no regret doing that.”

Ennoshita rolls his eyes. This boy has a gut to take such a dangerous, big responsibility, before he realises what it would take to be a policeman. Your life is always at stake whenever you leave the HQ, and you could die anytime, leaving everything behind. He wants to protect people from losing another, what would he do if he can’t even protect himself?

 _This is pissing me off_ , Ennoshita grits his teeth. This boy is just barking whatever he thinks is cool to be said for a time like this. He doesn’t know the feeling of losing people he loved because they tried to protect someone else.

The lieutenant doesn’t ask Ennoshita’s reason to join the academy. He just pats him on the shoulder, saying: “Inspector Ennoshita was a good man. We all liked and respected him, and we believe you would dream big and act bigger like how your father did.”

 

Ennoshita gulps. _Dream big and act bigger, huh?_

 

 

“Hey! You! Hey!”

Ennoshita turns around, frowning. “You’re talking to me?” _it’s the buzz cut guy… who was his name again? Ah, Tanaka._

“Of course I am!” he pants, trying to collect his breath. “Everyone was asked about the reason they joined the academy but the lieutenant didn’t even mention that with you. I know something’s is not right, so I looked for you to talk about it.”

“There’s nothing out of place with that,” Ennoshita says flatly. “My father was also a police officer. He died on duty a year ago, and I’m his only son so I was asked to be a police officer as well. My motive is clear, I have no interest to be a public figure like all of you. I’m here because I have to finish the things my father started.”

Was he too harsh? Ennoshita swears he catch a glint of disappointment in Tanaka’s face. But why? They barely know each other, and if this guy wants to make friends, he’s obviously coming to the wrong person.

“So that’s it…” he says quietly, like Ennoshita’s words had absorbed all his determination and spirit and now they’re leaving his body. “Ah, too bad, I guess? Everyone was expecting a lot from you, I mean, it was before I knew you’re a son of a police officer. But really, Ennoshita-san, you’re so bright, kinda like a star. I thought it would be amazing to have you try your best along with us, because you have this leader trait with you… ah, sorry, I’ve been talking nonsense. Then, excuse me.”

Ennoshita’s blood boils on his chest. What’s with that guy? Like a star? Only his father ever said something like that to him—and Ennoshita thought it was awfully funny and ironic. Ennoshita is a nobody and there’s no way for him to be a somebody. What star? What leader trait? Was this guy just playing with him just now?

Ennoshita takes a long stride and grabs Tanaka’s collar, glaring furiously at him.

“You know nothing about me,” he growls, “you have no right to tell me who I am and what do they want from me, because you don’t know anything!”

“I know,” Tanaka simply answers, a small smile tugged on the corner of his lips. “That’s why I want to know more about you, so I can be a good fellow police officer you can be proud of. Ennoshita-san, don’t you know that’s how people have been thinking about you?”

No, Ennoshita doesn’t know. He doesn’t let people’s opinions get into him, because he just wants to be alone. He doesn’t want to depend on anyone because they could unexpectedly leave his side, just like his parents. At the end, Ennoshita would still be alone no matter how the circumstances go. Why should friends matter?

Ennoshita releases Tanaka’s shirt and walks away; suddenly feeling exhausted. He doesn’t look back, and doesn’t ever look at Tanaka’s eyes until the last day of the training.

 

****

 

At the night of his graduation, Ennoshita calls Mikoshiba out for a talk.

“You’ve grown up a lot since the last time I saw you,” Mikoshiba says. “Congratulations on your graduation, Chikara.”

“Thank you, I wouldn’t be here without you,” Chikara takes a deep breath. “Uncle, did my father ever say something about me to you?”

“He talked quite a lot,” answers Mikoshiba. “I didn’t remember all of it, but he kept saying you’re a star, his star. Small, often goes unnoticed, but when people actually stop and stare, you’re the most beautiful thing they’d ever seen. Your father had a lot of faith in you, even though he knew from the start your passion wasn’t to take his position in the police. But well, that’s a father for you.”

Ennoshita’s eyes brimming with tears. “Then… what should I do now, Uncle?”

Mikoshiba reaches out an arm and squeezes Ennoshita’s shoulder with his big hand. “I have done my part, Chikara, now the choice is in your hand. But speaking honestly, I want you to stay as a police officer. Not because your father, because it’s you. After the years I spent raising you like my own son, I start to have the same faith your father had in you.”

Ennoshita clenches his fist, “Do you also think… that I am a star?”

Mikoshiba nods, smiling. “Yes, Chikara, you are.”

 

 

 

“Ah, so that’s why you were angry to me when I told you, you were like a star? Because it’s something your father said about you?”

“Eavesdropping a talk of your fellow police officer isn’t something nice, I supposed you know that much, Tanaka-san.”

Tanaka grins, leaning his body on the wooden door. “I was looking for you, and when I found you here, you were talking with Lieutenant Mikoshiba. So I waited for a bit, and the information came without a warning. It wasn’t completely my fault, you see.”

Ennoshita rolls his eyes. “What do you want from me?”

Tanaka shakes his head. “Eh? Nothing, I just wanted to see your face. You’ve been putting on troubled face during our training days, I wonder if you would put that off and wear nicer expression on your graduation day. I guess it was just my wishful thinking.”

 _God, this person is so troublesome_. “Tanaka,” Ennoshita calls. Tanaka raises his head, and if Ennoshita didn’t see it wrong, Tanaka was _smiling_. “No one ever bothered to become my friend since the first day I stepped my foot in the academy. You were different. May I know why?”

“Still so damn strict with the formalities…” Tanaka snorts. “Say you were walking under the night sky, the stars were everywhere and the full moon was shining brightly. But you kept on staring at the stars, though the moon is bigger and way more promising to show you the way. Why is that?”

“I don’t know? And why do you keep talking to me using the word ‘ _star’_?”

“Because the stars are fascinating in their own way. They are not big, they aren’t dominating the sky like the moon does, but they exist and they do have power to keep them at place. That’s what I see in you, and that’s also why I keep insisting to be your friend. I was fascinated by the way you stand on your own, so I want to follow you, to help you to shine brighter. Maybe we won’t get to shine as bright as the moon, but two is better than one, yeah?”

Ennoshita doesn’t respond. He feels like… talking to his father. And why does he feel that way when he’s actually talking to someone he knows nothing about to be called a friend?

“Seems like…” Tanaka pauses, “your father, and probably Lieutenant Mikoshiba had seen the same thing on you.” He laughs, mostly to himself, but Ennoshita still feels warm spreading on his face.

This is awkward, and this is horrible.  Ennoshita doesn’t know what kind of face he would show to Tanaka when they meet again later at work.

“Hey, Ennoshita? Are you okay? Are you sick?” Tanaka walks closer and Ennoshita suddenly panics. Tanaka’s arms are suddenly wrapping around his slender body before he could think of anything else.

It’s awkward, it’s horrible, but Ennoshita feels so much calmer in Tanaka’s embrace—like all his burden has been lifted out. Tanaka rests his chin on Ennoshita’s shoulder, his chest pressed against Ennoshita’s back and Ennoshita can feel the rhythm of his breathe. This position is super awkward, but Ennoshita doesn’t complain.

 

Instead, he asks quietly, “What are you doing, Tanaka?” _Don’t go, don’t leave me like this. I need you._

Tanaka hugs him tighter and answers, “Body temperature measurement.” _I won’t go anywhere, I’ll stay._

 

****

 

Tanaka yawns and stretches his tensing muscles after sitting and typing for so long. He shrieks at the time, startling Ennoshita.

“God! It’s already past 1 am!”

“Do you want to go home?” Ennoshita asks, “Ah, you said you’d help until midnight and now is past midnight already. I’m almost done, you don’t have to wait for me.”

Tanaka scrunches his nose. “You know what, I don’t believe you. If I leave now, you’d be here until the sun rises, staring at the window thinking about only God knows what. So the answer is, no, I’ll wait for you and I’ll walk you home. Probably borrow your shower too, if you don’t mind.”

“Shameless as ever,” Ennoshita laughs. “But to be honest, Ryu, I like having you working late with me. You look so serious with your work, and you look like a decent lieutenant.”

“That hurts but still a compliment, so I’ll accept it,” Tanaka says. “Hey, Chikara. Do you feel like you’re lost, sometimes? I often caught you thinking so deep, but your eyes didn’t show anything. It’s just like you’re completely lost in your own mind.”

“Yeah, something like that,” Ennoshita answers nonchalantly. “You said I was a star. Maybe I was too small to stay on this big universe, so sometimes gravity would pull me to somewhere I don’t know.”

Tanaka sighs, rises from his seat and hugs Ennoshita tightly from behind.

“Ryu, hey, I’m working here. What are you doing?”

“I’m pulling you out of the gravity and bringing you home. You don’t belong to somewhere you don’t know, you’re supposed to be in a place where you’re familiar to.”

Ennoshita smiles and squeezes the strong arm around his neck, “And where would that be?”

“On my arms,” Tanaka says, his voice barely audible yet it successfully burns Ennoshita’s face in a heartwarming heat. “Don’t move, Chikara. It’s time to check your body temperature.”

Ennoshita lets Tanaka hug him a little more, feeling all warm and happy he wants to cry.

“Yeah, please end it quickly so we can go home. Do you want to stop by a convenience store to eat ramen?”

“Mm, and I want mine super spicy.”

“ _Ryoukai_.”

**Author's Note:**

> PLS LOVE ENNOTANA THEY ARE ADORABLE AND ENNOSHITA MAKES A GOOD CAPTAIN/LEADER PLS REMEMBER THAT. also tanaka and ennoshita in police uniform, don't tell me you don't want that


End file.
